I remember this moment like it was yesterday. My now 19 year old daughter as a little one experiencing her first summer fair and my taking a break from the hospital visits. I was a young Mom, had recently graduated from University and started working full time at the School District as a Youth Counselor. It was this same summer we moved into low income housing, my Mom was battling double pneumonia and my Dads Cancer diagnosis was confirmed. I clearly remember thinking, "God, I'm not strong enough for this". Little did I know where I would be 20 years later and how much stronger I would become from losing my Dad, a divorce, a home and more. Sometimes it's the trials which break us until they make us 🙏🏼 #memories#backthen#strongwoman#survivor#throwbackthursday#thankful#thankfulthursday#hope#keepthefaith#dreamer @hopefortheday
@hopekeepsliving
@hopeinstruggle
@hopespoken

The Great White Shark. Under threat of extinction across the globe. For years reports from fishermen claim there has been a surge in numbers and the sharks should be culled. This is a very small minded solution to a claim that is not true. GWS numbers are very slowly increasing because of their protection this is true but female sexual maturity is not reached until their early 30's and males in their mid to late 20's. As is true with many species of sharks due to the decrease In numbers and gene pool their recovery is still ongoing. Unfortunately, government drumlines and nets are contributing to this slow recovery. Catch and release fisherman harming the sharks by bringing them ashore for social media fame and 'tagging' also contributes to mortality but illegal and commercial fishing is by far the greatest threat to the GWS and life in our oceans. Bycatch is often not recorded and discarded back to the ocean as 'waste' so that quotas of target species can be fulfilled. Massive cuts in marine protection areas across Australia by our government will now place even greater pressure on the life of our ocean. I pray that by teaching our young people about the destruction we have created in this and previous generations, they will steer us in a far better direction in regards to protecting this planet from those that will try to do it harm for their own selfish desires. 📸taken on #goprohero4#saveoursharks 🦈 #saveourseas#gws#greatwhiteshark#clearancediver#sharkattack#survivor#sharkweek#discoverychannel#divewet

This was a year ago .. so much has changed in a year. I literally almost didn't make it I was heading to my cabin on vacation when my life was literally derailed. I wasn't driving I wasn't in control but I can't even talk trash about someone who was a good friend. However I knew when I woke up and looked at the odometer and then him, that we were going to crash. So I said okay you're going to crash, as we wove back and fourth the highway going 68 mph I just said "okay you need to relax and close your eyes just like if you were on a rollercoaster" everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I tell them that. But at that point I needed to ground myself. After rolling and hitting multiple trees, my car finally settled. I was knocked out of course my temporal bone was fractured from hitting the door panel while we rolled when I rolled because my friend was ejected from the car. I woke up hanging from my seatbelt upside down to a medic saying ma'am can you hear me. I said yeah I'm napping I'm on vacation, no ma'am you have been in a bad accident don't move we are going to get you out. I looked and my left leg was crushed under a tree with glass in it bleeding. My ribs and chest hurt so bad I didn't know if I was dying or not. My sternum was broken, I had a left hemothorax, multiple lacerations to my leg, and my brain was shaken like and iced coffee. I remember the days in the hospital all the items on the walls were falling down. I was scared. I had no phone and all I remember is my best friends calling the hospital. I was so medicated I don't remember who I talked to I just remember them saying thank god you're okay and I love you. Well a year later. I'll never forget all I endured but I will never forget my resiliency. I kept moving, kept working, I stayed vegan and I believe I owe my healing to the plant based diet. When the chips are down just get up. #survivor#caraccident#lifeaftertheaccident#drivesafely#carwreck#myjourney#liveyourbestlife#neverknowwhattoexpect#safe#healing#vegan#plantbased#seatbeltsavedmylife#focused#humble#riplancer#carsavedmylife#mitshubishi#mitshibishilancer#grateful#loveyourlife#lucky#blessed

Join us for the first annual Hope 5k, September 2, benefiting survivors of Human Trafficking. All proceeds will be given to local ministries that are dedicated to the restoration of Human Trafficking victims. Healing Root Ministry, Bridging Freedom and Created. Come out and run, walk, push a stroller or just cheer others on to support a great cause.
Register at idlewild.org/hope5k Hope 5K Run – Benefitting Survivors of Human Trafficking Idlewild Church
If you can't make it out we encourage you to donate in support of the Hope 5k and local survivors of Human Trafficking.
#HealingRootMinistry#survivor#freedom#restoration

It hasn't always been pretty. It hasn't always been easy. But man, every time I pushed play- and posted that sweaty selfie in my private group... I felt proud!!! ☺️ Not everyone posted pics (it wasn't required). But it kept me accountable. And everyone cheered me on!! Plus we were all on the same journey! No judgement, just love! ❤️ I started learning to cook healthier. I drank my shake everyday! I started to actually like water 💦 (even though I was previously addicted to soda and didn't think it would EVER HAPPEN!! 😝) I had so many victories!!! I lost 20 pounds in 8 weeks! 😱 I put on a swimsuit and got in the pool. I got a bike!!! 🚴🏻‍♀️ I got off blood pressure meds!!! 💊
But then I started to slack on my nutrition and my workouts. 😝 I'd neglect them and beat myself up. 😔 My weight loss stalled and I got discouraged.
But then one day... I had an aha-ha moment. And I learned something that changed EVERYTHING. 👊🏻 ✨ You see... perfection is NOT required. ✨
I had heard it. Hell, I had even preached it. But I wasn't walking the walk.
What was required, was showing up. 🙋🏼 So I started getting up everyday and simply doing the best I could. And THEN... forgiving myself at night if I failed to meet all my "expectations". I'd get up the next day and start fresh. ☀️ The consistency started to come. And the more it came, the more I started to feel pride in myself again-- and then guess what happened?! I got the results I always wanted!!!! 💪🏻❤️💁🏼 Soon I had a lost a total of 40 pounds and now everyone is asking me, what did you do differently?!! What did I do??! Let me tell you... I learned to love myself through health and fitness. ❤️ And I would love to show you how. 😘
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#crazymom#losingmymind#blendedfamily#stepmomlife#depressionsucks#anxietyisreal#theresalwaysnextyear#illstarttomorrow#farmerswife#starbucksgirl#myescape#momtographer#survivor#bestillandknow#blendedfamilylove#lifeafterdivorce#pnwmom#honestmotherhood#christianmom#coffeeandjesus#starbucksislife#isitfiveoclockyet#wineoclock#wineo#coffeesnob#pajamasallday#insomniasucks#notallwoundsarevisible